McLaughlin gets hot, leads Leland to three wins

Matt McLaughlin has been his league's Sophomore of the Year and its Junior of the Year, both after winning all-league honors as a freshman starter on the Leland varsity baseball team.

Last week he showed one of the reasons why.

McLaughlin went 8 for 12 with a home run and four runs batted in last week to lead the Chargers to a three-win week--two of those victories coming in Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division games.

The Kansas-bound senior raised his average to .383 as the Chargers two-timed Pioneer 4-1 and 18-4 in a couple of league games, then crushed Monta Vista 13-3 in the first round of the Cupertino Host Lions Tournament.

McLaughlin saved his best for last when he finished the week on April 12 by going 4 for 4 with a homer to help the Chargers stop the Matadors in just five innings on the 10-run rule, pushing their record to 12-6 for the year.

The most important win of the week for Leland, though, had to be the first one when the Chargers edged a scrappy Pioneer squad 4-1. With the Mustangs running out of pitching two days later, Leland rolled 18-4 to improve its league mark to 6-2, leaving the locals just a game out of first place in the division.

Willow Glen tops the pack at 7-1 with Leigh at 4-1. Westmont is also very much in the race at 5-2.

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Leland was to face Willow Glen earlier this week, not in a league game but rather as part of the Lions tourney. The Chargers will face Monterey on April 18, 7 p.m., at PAL Stadium to continue tourney action before returning to league play in an important two-game series against Westmont--April 23 at home and April 25 in Campbell. Both games begin at 4 p.m.

The Chargers finished play last week with the lopsided win over Monta Vista, and McLaughlin couldn't have picked a better time to have a big day. With most of Leland's juniors missing the game because of the junior prom later that night, the Chargers took on the Matadors will a skeleton crew of seniors, sophomores and frosh-soph call-ups.

Monta Vista wasn't about to show any mercy, and rallied for two runs in the home half of the third to tie the game 3-3. The game remained tied through four innings before the Chargers broke the game open with 10 runs in the fifth.

McLaughlin was 4 for 4 with a homer, three RBIs, two runs scored and three stolen bases to lead the Leland offensive attack.

Senior Josh Nashed tripled twice to knock in three runs, and he also scored twice in the win. Scott Klinker doubled and Dino Piazza, Andrew Meggs and Ethan Maloblocki each singled. Meggs and Maloblocki added two runs scored and an RBI apiece and Jake Dermer, Conner DiNaro, Klinker, Matt Cuevas and Hunter Christensen each scored. Piazza also drove in a run.

Dermer picked up the mound win with four innings of solid relief.

Leland opened the week with the tight 4-1 win over Pioneer.

Jeremy Sullivan scattered five hits over 6 1/3 innings to pick up the win, and Josh Pederson came on to get the final two outs claim his second save.

The Chargers took the early lead when Josh Wells walked and scored on an error in the second, and they went up 2-0 with a run in the fourth. Brendt Citta doubled and scored when Doug Frazier reached on a fielder's choice.

But Pioneer fought back. Kyle Cooper singled up the middle, stole second, took third on wild pitch and scored on an error. Michael Rojko followed with a double to left, but then Sullivan got the final two outs to get out of the jam.

Still, Pioneer had cut the Leland lead to 2-1. It didn't stay that way for long.

Nashed worked a two-out walk, and Citta and DiNaro followed with singles. Throw in three wild pitches, and the Chargers had a 4-1 lead.

McLaughlin and Liam Saito also singled in the win over Pioneer. Rojko had two hits for the Mustangs, and Desmond Small and Ricky Ramirez added singles.

It was Citta who did most of the damage against the Mustangs last week. After going 2 for 3 in the first game, the junior catcher came back two days later to go 5 for 5 with four doubles and four ribbies in the 18-4 victory at Pioneer.

Citta, who leads the Leland regulars with a .500 batting average, slapped run-scoring doubles in the second and third, and ripped two doubles in a six-run rally in the fifth. Citta led off the inning with a sharp two-bagger, and capped the rally with a two-run double.

Nashed, who is hitting at a .429 clip, was 3 for 5 and delivered a three-run double in the third. McLaughlin also had three hits.

Ramirez led the Mustangs with a couple of singles and Zach Silva, Jordan Alejandre, Josh Smith, Dakota Calvert, Rojko and Adam Jennings also had hits for Pioneer.

The Mustangs, 2-6 in the division and 7-8 overall, will try to even their season record when they visit Pacific Grove on April 18, 4 p.m., and host Burlingame on April 19, noon. Pioneer will then play two 4 p.m. games against Willow Glen--April 23 at WG and April 25 at home.

Leigh wins three

Leigh won three non-league games last week--beating Scotts Valley 9-5, San Lorenzo Valley 13-2 and Soquel 7-4--to push its season record to 11-4-1.

The Longhorns took a 4-1 league record into Mt. Hamilton Division action this week when they were to face last-place Santa Teresa in a two-game set. The clubs were to meet earlier this week, and Leigh will visit the Saints on April 18, 4 p.m. The Longhorns tangle with Sobrato in two 4 p.m. league games next week--April 23 at home and April 27 in Morgan Hill.

Kyle Morrison was 3 for 4 with a couple of RBIs, and Connor Barrett singled and tripled to drive home three runs to lead Leigh to the win over Scotts Valley. The Longhorns broke open a tight 3-2 game with a 10-run rally in the fifth and won by the 10-run rule in five.

Joe Giacchetti singled and doubled and Paul Hall, Landon Wayker and Austin Vierra each had hits for the Longhorns.

Brandon Lariz tossed 5 1/3 strong innings to get the win, allowing just two hits and four walks while striking out four.

Hall had a big day with a grand slam among his three hits to drive the Longhorns to the win over SLV. Hall finished with five RBIs and scored two runs.

Austin Vierra also had three hits, and Giacchetti singled and doubled and scored twice. Morrison and Chris Norman each added a hit and a sacrifice fly, and Justin Scanlon, Barrett and Wayker each singled.

Caleb Hancock tossed a complete game to get the win, tossing a 3-hitter in the five inning contest. Hancock struck out three and walked three in the win.

Leigh wrapped up the week with the 7-4 win over Soquel. Hall and Wayker each cracked a single and a double, Hall driving in two runs and Wyker knocking home one.

Andrew Theron doubled and chased in two runs, and Vierra also slapped a two-bagger. Giacchetti and Scanlon each had hits and RBIs, and Barrett and Norman singled. Morrison stole a bag and raced home with a pair of runs and Hall, Wayker and Norman each added steals.

Scanlon tossed four innings to get the mound win, pushing his season record to 4-2.

SLV tops Bruins

Branham lost its only game last week, falling 8-7 to San Lorenzo Valley in a non-league clash.

The Bruins led 6-4 after a four-run rally in the top of the fourth, but the Cougars took a 7-6 lead with three in the fifth. Branham scored in the top of the seventh to tie it, only to see SLV score in the home half of the frame for the walk-off win.

Ryan Williams tripled and singled to drive in three runs for Branham and he also scored twice. Alex Zarate had a couple of hits to knock in two runs, and Mitch Anders and Cameron Caldwell each singled twice. Arman Sabouri also had a hit and Sabouri, Conner Knapp, Anders, Michael Walls and Caldwell each scored runs. Sabouri also stole a base.

The loss left the Bruins 9-8 on the year. They are 4-4 in the Mt. Hamilton Division and were to return to league play this week in a two-game set against Sobrato and will visit Los Altos on April 19, noon, and host San Lorenzo Valley on April 23, 4 p.m., in non-league games.